Thursday, December 27, 2007

Conde Nast Portfolio.com reports that the biggest trend in pets isn’t purebreds, but specially created hybrids.
For example, this puppy is a Kimola (American Eskimo dog and Lhasa apso.)
Isn't he cute?
We used to call these dogs "mutts" and get them at Animal Welfare for a minimal cost.
Times are changing.

5 comments:

I discovered KIMOLAs recently on webpages dedicated to so-called Designer Dogs and "hybrid breeds" (the word "hybrid" properly only refers to an interspecies mix, like Canis Lupis - any kind of true wolf or domestic dog - and, say, a coyote or jackal). Some of these combinations are a great shame to have attempted on purpose (or by carelessness). One thinks some of them must have been effected by perverted science...Although, if there are going to be (and, unfortunately, there have been) grotesqueries such as Scottie/Golden crosses, artificial insemination from the smaller to the much larger breed is less horrid than other possibilities. Other crosses simply tend to prpetuate or even exacerbate deformity and other cruel health problems inbred into purebreds for human vanity, for instance, Pugs or Pekes (very unhealthy!) crossed with bristly-bearded breeds could mean EVEN WORSE eye, breathing and face infection problems, and the "lowridered" stretch-crouch of modern "show" German Shepherds, combined with short-legged dogs would be disastrous.

This doesn't mean that all efforts to cross are wrong, however. The Kimola seems a good candidate for a TRULY RESPONSIBLE, HUMANE effort to create a new breed. Both breeds it came from were healthy (remembering that they were made for cool climates!), of similar size, and meant to be Companion Dogs. The testimony of owners as to their characters and health seems very good, and they seem to turn out with very little variation of type to look rather like larger, leggier Malteses. I hope that those who are making these crosses will form a club that sets a HEALTHY standard (wolfish substructure, tests to weed out disease and bad genetic or tendencies; humane breeding, housing & other care), spays/neuters and assures good homes for the off-standard (or has them humanely euthanized if they're really unhealthy), etc. ...and might venture into wider gene-pools; other breeds and mixes which would better the standard and not just stupidly stick to the charlatan vanity of calling a mutt a Designer Dog because of two breeds and a stupid portmanteau word name!